


The End Of The Affair That Never Began

by Saziikins



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, M/M, Unrequited Crush, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 13:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2510243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saziikins/pseuds/Saziikins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After discovering Mary shot Sherlock, John has moved back to Baker Street. He is stunned to see Sherlock and Greg together, and begins to accept that it might be time to make things work with his wife. It's about realising the moment has gone, before you discover the moment may have ever existed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End Of The Affair That Never Began

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very quick piece as an attempt to get my eye in with writing again. It's not intended to be unkind to John, and I hope it doesn't come across that way.

He’d wanted to walk further than he had. His intention had been to leave Baker Street and head along Marylebone Road, continuing to where it became Great Portland Street. From there, his intention had been to walk into Regent’s Park, avoiding the Boating Lake and instead walking directly up to the gates of London Zoo. He might have walked back the same way or chosen to make a circle, wandering past the lake on the way back to Baker Street.

The rain brought John’s walk to a halt half way to the zoo.

At gone midnight, the prospect of the walk had been appealing, but doing it in the rain had not been part of the plan.

He ducked his head, marching more briskly through the deserted park.

The rain, the rustling of the trees, the pounding of his feet on the ground were enough to distract him from his thoughts. He concentrated on those noises.

He often went for a walk after he had seen Mary. They discussed moving back in together today. Until she had said Sherlock’s name and he remembered the gun, the bullet, the blood, the doctors telling him his heart had stopped.

And then he’d left her again, returning to the comforting surroundings of Baker Street. Which had been empty.

Sherlock had been considerate enough to leave a note containing a single word: Case. John tried to text, but he’d received no response. At gone midnight, still alone in the flat, he had chosen to go for a walk.

If he were a more sensitive person, he’d have begun to feel Sherlock was getting tired of living with him again, but he couldn’t understand why that might be.

Wet and exhausted, he opened the door to the flat.

A single lamp was switched on in the living area, and he was just about to say a word to the top of Sherlock’s head when he realised what he was looking at.

Sherlock was sat on the sofa, his body swivelled sideways. But his legs were stretched over the lap of… Greg.

Greg had one arm wrapped around Sherlock’s shoulders, and Sherlock was leaning heavily into him, his face pressed to Greg’s neck. Together they held a book open on Sherlock’s lap.

Greg looked up and smiled. “Hi,” he murmured, a slight hesitance in his voice.

John stared at them open-mouthed for a moment. Sherlock didn’t move. He continued to lie there, his eyes closed, resting against the other man. He looked relaxed. John could only assume this wasn’t the first time they’d done this.

“What are you reading?” John asked, frowning.

“Um…” Greg lifted the book, Sherlock’s arm rising up with his, though he let out a disgruntled noise at being forced to move. Greg read the title aloud. “The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions And The Quest For The Ultimate Theory.”

His eyes still closed, Sherlock made a small, one-sided smile, one eye crinkling at the corner.

Greg shrugged a bit, beginning to grin. “I told him I was going to teach him about space one night and he pulled out this… we’ve been reading it together ever since. I didn’t understand a word after the introduction but I suppose Sherlock can teach me it in layman’s terms, once we’ve finished it.”

“You’re reading.” John tilted his head. “Together. You’re reading a science book together?” Like this? he wondered. Wrapped around each other like… well, like lovers. “You’re up late,” he added.

“Just got in,” Greg explained. “Had a case. But we’re both hungry, so I put some dinner on and we’re just waiting for it to cook.”

“Ah. Solve it?” John asked.

“Always,” Sherlock murmured, his eyes still closed.

“Right,” John replied.

“Y’can have some of the lasagna,” Greg offered. He lifted Sherlock’s hand so he could study his watch, even though Greg wore his own watch and could just as easily have checked that. “Gonna be another 15 minutes.”

“No. Thanks. I ate. Um.” John frowned at them. He was expecting an explanation. But he supposed seeing them together like this was explanation enough. “Right. I’m just going to… turn in,” he muttered.

“Night,” Greg replied.

“Mm,” was Sherlock’s response.

“Night,” John said, walking slowly towards the bathroom.

“Right…” Greg started. “So… The development for special relativity immediately set the stage for-”

“-No,” Sherlock said, cutting him off. “Start again from the beginning of the chapter. It makes more sense when you read it all in one go.”

“It doesn’t make sense whether I read it all in one go or in bits, Sher,” Greg muttered, his voiced amused.

“Hmm,” Sherlock replied softly. “Start from the beginning anyway. I liked how you said ‘heavenly galaxies’.”

Greg chuckled and John heard a page being turned before he continued to read aloud.

Shaking his head, John opened the bathroom door. While washing his hands, he gazed into the mirror, touching his wedding ring with his thumb.

And what had he expected? That he got married and Sherlock would always wait? Wait for John, who was never sure if Sherlock was the one he wanted and was never certain it would work anyway.

Jealously was a terrible habit, one he had never been able to shake. He couldn’t quite shake it now. With his lying wife alone at home, he felt more separate in this flat than he ever had. 

But Sherlock was here. With Greg.

Sherlock had never known John might feel that way about him and John could hardly blame him for finding companionship with someone else, especially since his wedding. John had been away from Sherlock for weeks.

Janine may have filled a void, though it had all been a lie. But evidently, Sherlock had already found someone to spend his time with.

And John found it strange that he felt as though he was mourning something that never started. Mourning something he’d never been convinced he wanted.

Stupid really. To think perhaps Sherlock would wait forever. To think perhaps Sherlock might make a move now John had separated from Mary, albeit temporarily. Perhaps temporarily.

He dried his hands and opened the bathroom door.

Greg and Sherlock broke their tender kiss and Sherlock dropped his head back onto Greg’s shoulder.

“Night,” John murmured, beginning to walk to the stairs, a deep frown between his eyes.

“Goodnight John,” Greg called after him, before returning to the book. “If you have not heard previously about this ferocious antagonism, you may be wondering why,” Greg read aloud.

“Hmmm, I love you,” Sherlock said as though he hadn’t heard, his voice low and quiet.

John turned his head over his shoulder to see Greg and Sherlock rub their noses together, Greg with a wide grin on his face.

“God, you’re such a charmer when you’re hungry,” Greg murmured, capturing Sherlock’s lips in a kiss. “Love you too. Now y’gonna have to move so I can check on dinner.”

John turned away and took hold of the door handle.

Sherlock let out a stubborn sigh and Greg began to laugh.

John began to walk to his bedroom just as Sherlock began to chuckle too.

Alone in his room, John stared up at the ceiling. Perhaps it was time to return to Mary. 


End file.
